New to Forum and MTB in general

SurferEv

Greetings to you all!!!

Thought I'd say hi as I've been looking through the forum cherry picking snippets of info here and there over the last couple of weeks. So today I thought it was time I signed up properly

A few weeks ago I dusted off my 11yr old generic MTB and started doing some mileage around where I live and realised there are quite a lot of nice places to ride around here (Westcliff-On-Sea). I was also enjoying the exercise and have gotten the bug.

So last weekend I bought myself a pristine 2009 Specialized RockHopper SL from a friend and am loving it. Managing to get some mid-week 6-7 mile spats in too at lunch which is helping greatly.

I'm looking forward to heading out and exploring further and increasing my fitness level along the way. Also very much looking forward to visiting some trials sites too

My brother-in-law has been out with me a few times, and the guy I bought the bike from has decided he's gonna now use his Cube Ltd Pro but if any of you are around these parts, I'll always be on the lookout for riding partners to set off and hit the local terrain.

So, looking forward to interacting with you all, enjoying my bike... and getting fit while I have fun 8)

Cheers,

Ev

jeannot18

Welcome EV, I am myself pretty new to MTB, just got a Rockrider 8.1 last week and been out a couple of time (=Thorndon and Danbury today). I live in Wickford, not too far from your, so if you want a ride out send me a pm, I am quite interested to find some new route myself. I am usually free during the week (work WE).
JC

SurferEv

Afternoon JC

I've only done a couple of local routes but they are quite enjoyable (and lots of varied gradients so good exercise :P ).

First XC I did was from my place over through Cherry Orchard Park, across the fields and into Hockley Woods, loop the woods, and back. About 12.5 miles round trip.

The other route I've been doing quite a bit is up into Belfairs Woods, through into Pound Wood, through to Tile Wood, through that into another small wood, loop around and then back. A few nice downhill bits through the trees and some corresponding climbs to get the legs pumping.

A mate had also just suggested Danbury to me the other day as it was in some guide he had.

For midweek daytime rides I'm keeping it to about the hour - hour and half length as I work (but thankfully work from home office so flexible) and have been trying to get out at weekends in the morning.

Would also be up for a midweek early evening ride some day?

I'm looking at getting a good rack for the car so I'm not limited to the routes right on the doorstep and can jump to places like Danbury, etc and ride out from there..

We'll have to get out for a spin I think..

Ev

Fenred

Guys, the following places are all pretty good:

Hadleigh Downs / country Park
Hockley Woods and surrounding
Langdon Hills
Thorndon Country Park

Welcome EV, the Rockhopper is a great first bike, good purchase!

SurferEv

Cheers Dude!

I do like Hockley Woods and will probably do there again this weekend

Had been wondering about Hadleigh Downs as I've been reading up on the Olympic course stuff over the last few days, wondering when we will be allowed on it but it seems that won't happen until after the games......
But I had forgotten what a large area the park covers.

Was also reading a thread from JC earlier on Thorndon Park and it looks like one of the guys is up for giving us an initiation route tour sometime very soon

I just got in another blast around Belfairs before dinner today (6.6 miles) and got my average speed up to just under 13mph and fastest up to 30 (although that was on the road section coming back from woods to my house). I'm slowly upping the pace so I don't overdo it from the start but at the same time making sure I'm pushing so I 'feel the burn'.

Also got my pair of DMR V8s in white today so they got a good test 8)

Am loving the bike and looking forward to meeting up for a ride soon.

Cheers,

Ev

stubs

Welcome to the bestest hobby on the planet. I have been mucking about offroad on pushbikes for about 40 years and I can honestly say I have never regretted a minute spent getting mucky and covered in scabs.

jeannot18

SurferEv wrote:

Afternoon JC

I've only done a couple of local routes but they are quite enjoyable (and lots of varied gradients so good exercise :P ).

First XC I did was from my place over through Cherry Orchard Park, across the fields and into Hockley Woods, loop the woods, and back. About 12.5 miles round trip.

The other route I've been doing quite a bit is up into Belfairs Woods, through into Pound Wood, through to Tile Wood, through that into another small wood, loop around and then back. A few nice downhill bits through the trees and some corresponding climbs to get the legs pumping.

A mate had also just suggested Danbury to me the other day as it was in some guide he had.

For midweek daytime rides I'm keeping it to about the hour - hour and half length as I work (but thankfully work from home office so flexible) and have been trying to get out at weekends in the morning.

Would also be up for a midweek early evening ride some day?

I'm looking at getting a good rack for the car so I'm not limited to the routes right on the doorstep and can jump to places like Danbury, etc and ride out from there..

We'll have to get out for a spin I think..

Ev

HI Ev, Hockley woods sounds good, it is only about 7 miles from me, so I could even cycle to there and back saving some petrol. Next week I am doing Danbury with my wife's cousin. But I may be able to do Hockley maybe another day. Let me know if we can get a ride going.
JC

PS: Fenred, thanks for the suggestions. I did Langdon Hills a while back with my old Claud Buttler ( and managed to get lost...) but it a pretty good ride.

Fenred

Cant 'legallly' ride the Olympic course :x but it's gonna be tamed down but rideable after the games so that'll be awesome for us locals!

Deffo up for the Thorndon ride with you boys and Hockley is my local so lemme know when you're planning on going out and i'll join you both

JC, enjoy Danbury! I found it all a bit BMX'y and had a BAD off there 10 or so years ago so its not my fave place, but it might have changed over the years so be good to hear a report from you!

Ev, sounds as tho you're setting a great pace, I've never ridden Belfairs despite living in Rayleigh....Oh yeh, it doesnt just stop at DMR's...go see the bank for a loan, once you're hooked ALL your spare cash goes on BIKES!!

jeannot18

Fenred wrote:

JC, enjoy Danbury! I found it all a bit BMX'y and had a BAD off there 10 or so years ago so its not my fave place, but it might have changed over the years so be good to hear a report from you!

I have to admit that I crapped my pants a little bit on those big downs. I am not the bravest, but I did a few and to be honest it brought a smile to my face, I almost had an off where I was coming down too fast and that calm me down a little bit. I need to invest in some knee pads i think, at my age can't really afford to fall on them

The tracks in the wood were pretty hard to do for me, lack of experience obviously, put the tracks on the ground were really deep and my front wheel was going everywhere.
Definitely let's organise an Hockley ride.
JC

SurferEv

Cheers Guys...

I'm actually doing Cherry Orchard Park - Hockley Woods early tomorrow morning with a mate and my brother-in-law before the forecast rain comes in the afternoon.

Just stocked up on a big bowl of pasta with chopped up Bratwurst to build up some fuel for the fire.. Although it was washed down with a nice bottle of Peroni

It's weird though... I never got to get out for a proper ride today and it already feels wrong:P

We'll have to organise a midweek spin over there maybe next week? Or Belfairs and Pound Wood, etc...

Cheers,
Ev

SurferEv

Well, Saturday morning we headed out at 7am to go over through Cherry Orchard, across the fields and into Hockley Woods..

Absolutely lovely ride. Forecast was for thundery rain later in the day and although it only turned out to go colder / cloudy / windy, we certainly got the best of the day out on the ride.

Starting to get more confidence in the bike and how I should ride it and got my first bit of air on a nice downhill run in the woods

Bro-in-law straight away wanted me to come out with him that afternoon to look at new bike options for him and he's probably gonna buy a Cube Attention this week He was on his 10+ yr old Carrera (hard nose and tail), with gears not working properly, weighing in somewhere near a ton and really saw the difference between his ride and mine and my mate's Rockhoppers...

Sprained my back later that day lifting my 3yr old out of his child seat asleep so not been out for a ride yet but it's all back to normal now so might try and get out for a few miles this afternoon..

Have you guys gotten out since lat week?

whitestar1

jeannot18 wrote:

Welcome EV, I am myself pretty new to MTB, just got a Rockrider 8.1 last week and been out a couple of time (=Thorndon and Danbury today). I live in Wickford, not too far from your, so if you want a ride out send me a pm, I am quite interested to find some new route myself. I am usually free during the week (work WE).
JC

Good to know I am not the only rockrider owner here! I have the 8.0

jeannot18

whitestar1 wrote:

jeannot18 wrote:

Welcome EV, I am myself pretty new to MTB, just got a Rockrider 8.1 last week and been out a couple of time (=Thorndon and Danbury today). I live in Wickford, not too far from your, so if you want a ride out send me a pm, I am quite interested to find some new route myself. I am usually free during the week (work WE).
JC

Good to know I am not the only rockrider owner here! I have the 8.0

Hi Whitestar, I am well happy with the 8.1 so far. The only thing I will replace in due time is some better tires. If not the rest is spot on for my skills and type of riding, no point at this stage to spend more. Maybe in a couple of years....

JC

SurferEv

Excellent news... I'll look forward to it

Managed just under 10 miles yesterday at lunch and just under 8 miles today exploring other routes..

It's a great feeling when I notice it getting easier to just put in a quick 10 miles for a bit of excercise 8)

Got a meeting with my boss at his house tomorrow and he only lives 4 miles away (5 XC so will take that route ) so not gonna take the car...

Then do a longer one at the weekend..

jeannot18

SurferEv wrote:

Excellent news... I'll look forward to it

Managed just under 10 miles yesterday at lunch and just under 8 miles today exploring other routes..

It's a great feeling when I notice it getting easier to just put in a quick 10 miles for a bit of excercise 8)

Got a meeting with my boss at his house tomorrow and he only lives 4 miles away (5 XC so will take that route ) so not gonna take the car...

Then do a longer one at the weekend..

Clocking the miles... I'll have to catch up when I am back
JC